CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - A competitive struggle in game one of the day gave way to an offensive explosion in the nightcap for the University of Notre Dame softball team Saturday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at the Big League Dreams Sports Complex. The No. 24 Irish bounced back from a 5-3 defeat against California in the first game of the afternoon to blank Cal State Fullerton 8-0 in the late contest to split day three of the tournament for Notre Dame.

Senior pitcher Laura Winter spun a one-hit shutout against Cal State Fullerton to move into third place on the all-time Notre Dame wins list, passing two-time All-American Jennifer Sharron ('01). Winter earned win number 89 with no walks and seven strikeouts on 83 pitches in a complete game effort.

Freshman Karley Wester, sophomore Megan Sorlie and junior Katey Haus all tied for the Notre Dame (10-2) team lead with four hits during the day's games, with Wester adding a pair of runs scored. Sophomore Micaela Arizmendi added a three-run home run against California and paced all Irish offensive players with six RBI.

Notre Dame is set to close its tournament slate at the 2014 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Sunday at 9 a.m. (PT) against #8 Oregon.

Junior Katey Haus followed a freshman Karley Wester single and stolen base with a single of her own to center field in the top of the first inning off Cal State Fullerton starter Jasmine Antunez. The base knock brought Wester around from second and gave Notre Dame a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Micaela Arizmendi then roped a two-out double off the right field wall two batters later, scoring Haus and sophomore Megan Sorlie to push the Irish cushion to 3-0.

Junior Cassidy Whidden opened the Notre Dame half of the second with a single that got through the right side off Antunez. A Jenna Simon sacrifice bunt moved Whidden into scoring position at second, where junior All-American Emilee Koerner drove her in with an RBI double (4-0). Wester added a base knock up the middle on the next pitch, plating Koerner to make it 5-0 Notre Dame.

Cal State Fullerton (10-5) finally got its first base runner on the board in the bottom of the third, when Antunez was hit by a Laura Winter (6-1) offering. The Irish slowed the Titans almost immediately, as Leesa Harris lined out to senior captain Chloe Saganowich, who doubled off Antunez at first base to end the frame.

Notre Dame logged a 1-2-3 frame on defense in the bottom of the fourth inning. Winter forced the Titans into a pair of fly ball outs before punching Desiree Ybarra out looking to retire the Cal State Fullerton side.

Cal State Fullerton broke through with its first hit in the bottom of the fifth, as Gabby Aragon laced single to left field off Winter to lead off the inning. Two more fly ball outs and a strikeout of Lauren Mario swinging ended the Titans half.

Notre Dame added to its lead in the top of the sixth inning, as Simon stole second base after reaching on a fielder's choice. Following a throwing error on a pickoff at second base, which advanced Simon to third base, Koerner laced an RBI single up the middle to extend the Irish advantage to 6-0.

A pair of hard-hit singles by Haus and Winter, and a wild pitch from Titan pitcher Monique Wesley moved pinch runners Carly Piccinich and Monica Torres into scoring position. A single to center from Arizmendi plated Piccinich (7-0). A Whidden single into left field scored Torres and capped the Notre Dame scoring at 8-0.

Winter retired the final six hitters she faced to earn her sixth straight win. She moved into third place on the all-time Notre Dame victory list with her 89th career win.

Game One - California 5, #24 Notre Dame 3

Katey Haus sparked the Notre Dame offense early with a two-out single to center field, and a Laura Winter walk moved Haus into scoring position. California starter Nisa Ontiveros (4-2) got Micaela Arizmendi swinging to end the Irish half of the first.

A Cheyenne Cordes single and a walk drawn by Danielle Henderson gave California (6-5) a pair of runners on base with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Notre Dame starter Allie Rhodes (3-1) bounced back with strikeouts of Victoria Jones and Breana Kostreba swinging to keep the Golden Bears off the scoreboard.

Singles by Megan Sorlie and Jenna Simon gave the Irish a pair of runners on with two away in the top of the second inning, but Ontiveros forced Emilee Koerner into a deep fly out to California left fielder LaRisa Jones on the warning track to strand both runners.

Sorlie opened the top of the fourth for Notre Dame with a one out double off the wall in right center. Ontiveros induced a sophomore Casey Africano pop out to third base before issuing a free pass to captain Chloe Saganowich. California responded with a strikeout of Simon to stall the Irish offensive.

Rhodes posted a 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the fourth inning, forcing Kostreba to pop out to Simon at second base and a pair of groundouts to Saganowich at shortstop to hang another zero in the Golden Bears column.

A nub single by California's Kostreba hit the dirt in the Irish infield in the bottom of the sixth, allowing the first run of the game to score and give the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead. A steal of second and advance home by Jones put Cal in front 2-0. A throwing error to plate allowed two more Golden Bear runs to come around, upping the Cal advantage to four runs (4-0). A sacrifice fly extended the lead to 5-0.

Arizmendi made the most of an opportunity with ducks on the pond in the top of the seventh inning, crushing a three-run home run to opposite field, bringing the Irish within two at 5-3. A pop out to shortstop and a fly out to left field for Notre Dame ended the contest in California's favor.